Time to Figure it All Out
by xBxAxMx
Summary: RS! A little OOC. Do you remember Abruzzi? His brothers do, and they’re out to get Steph. How will she survive? Will Ranger be with her? And just what does Joe have to do with everything? Read to find out...
1. Prologue

**Time to Figure it All Out**

**Prologue**

He couldn't get the door open; there must've been something jamming it, keeping it shut tight. He could hear screaming inside – Steph's screaming. He heard some cursing and then a gunshot. And another.

He froze and could have sworn his heart stopped in that moment.

Everything was quiet as he stood there, not daring to move a muscle. But then he heard some whimpering from behind the door. It had to be Steph, he told himself. It had to be.

With renewed energy, he took a few steps back and then ran forward into the door with all his strength, ramming it dead-center with his shoulder. The door creaked, but didn't open. Ignoring the pain, he did it again and again until the door finally burst open, showering wood chips all over.

Frantic, he ran inside and looked around the small room. There were two bodies on the floor. He quickly made his way over to Steph and knelt next to her, framing her cold face with his hands. Her eyes opened slowly and met his. She struggled to smile, but ended up being too weak.

She was favoring her left side, where blood was soaking through her shirt.

He struggled to prevent his eyes from filling with tears at the sight of the wound. Not many were able to survive that injury; she would most likely die of blood loss.

She read his expression and lifted a shaking hand to his face. "It's okay," she whispered. "He's gone…that's…" She coughed, and he winced when he saw the blood that came up. "That's…what matters."

He blinked back furious tears and took her hand in his. "No. Don't say that. You matter; he means nothing. And don't you dare close your eyes," he added when her eyelids began to droop. "An ambulance is coming. You'll be fine, Babe. You have to be."

She looked at him with tired eyes and shook her head slowly. "I'm sorry," she managed. "Never forget…" her eyes began to close. "Never forget…I love you."

Medics ran into the room and pushed him aside. He watched as they put her onto a cart and hooked her up to some machines. She was ready and being pulled out of the room before he had a chance to breathe. Her words echoed in his head, I love you.


	2. Chapter One

_**Previously:**_

Medics ran into the room and pushed him aside. He watched as they put her onto a cart and hooked her up to some machines. She was ready and being pulled out of the room before he had a chance to breathe. Her words echoed in his head, I love you.

**Chapter One**

_That morning…_

Stephanie Plum was driving her Mini Cooper to work when her cell phone rang. "Hello?" she answered.

"Babe?" She was surprised to hear Ranger's voice. It sounded almost – nervous; something that he didn't usually display. "You need to come to RangeMan. Now. Somebody is after you and you need to be put under protection."

"Who is it?" She asked as she turned in that direction.

"Abruzzi."

Steph froze, her hands tightening on the wheel, "I thought he was dead."

"Different one. This is his brother."

"Great," she sighed. "Another stalker."

"Just get here. Or I'll come and get you. This is not a time to play games."

"Fine, bye." She hung up and stuck the phone in her pocket.

She glanced up into her rearview mirror. What was with that blue sedan? It had been behind her for a few miles. She slowed down some and looked into the mirror again, focusing on the driver's face. It was a man and he looked vaguely familiar…

She almost slammed on the breaks when she recognized him. It must have been the brother. The man looked almost exactly like Abruzzi.

She quickly turned onto another road, hoping to steer him away from RangeMan. She reached into her pocket and pullet out her cell phone back out. Her fingers shook as she tried to punch in Ranger's number. She finally got it in and put the phone to her ear.

He answered on the first ring. "Where are you?"

"Driving away from you," she said quickly. "There's a man following me who looks a lot like Abruzzi. I'm assuming it's his brother." Ranger cursed. She heard him talking to his men before he replied. "Come here. We can take him."

Steph shook her head, and then realized he couldn't see her. "No. I'm not leading him to you."

"Babe, you need to listen to me—"

"No." She looked down at her the gas gauge. The car was running on fumes; she'd have to find somewhere to stop. Hopefully she'd be able to get away from her follower.

She wanted to make sure that nobody innocent got hurt. Thinking quickly, she turned the car towards her apartment. Nobody would be there; all of the other residents were elderly people who were out playing bingo or something.

"Ranger, I'm not coming," she said into the phone. "I'm going to lead him away and make sure he can't find you or anybody else." She took a breath and quickly interrupted his protests. "I'll see you later." She hung up on him and turned off the phone. She knew that he would be tracking her car, so she had a limited time to do this before his men came after her.

She pulled into the apartment building's lot and parked, turning off the car. Trying to act normal, she got out of the car and made her way inside and into the elevator. When the door closed behind her she pulled her gun out of her purse and loaded it with the bullets she kept in her pocket. Then she tucked the gun into her back pocket and waited for the door to open again.

When it did, she walked out, making her way to her door. Her follower was standing down the hall, pretending to examine the list of names and rooms on the wall. He must have run up the stairs to get there before her. She walked to her door and saw him move just before she closed it behind her.

She threw down her purse and ran into the bathroom. She turned the shower on full blast to make it loud, and then shut the curtain. Then she flew out of the bathroom, making sure to shut the door behind her.

She heard something scratching at her door. Abruzzi must be trying to pick her lock. She ran over to the hallway and put her back against the wall. She was in a position that allowed her to see him, but made it so that he would have to look hard to see her. The locks on the door tumbled just as she pulled her gun out of her back pocket. Bring it on, she thought. And then he was in the room.

_Scene change _

"We're sorry," the automated voice said happily. "But the number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please try again later."

Ranger cursed and slammed down his phone. "She won't come," he said to those in the room. "She's going to try and take him." His fingers tightened around the small phone until his knuckles went white. Everybody was watching him, waiting for orders. "Find her!" he barked out. "Trace her car, her cell phone, anything! She can't do this alone."

_Scene change_

Stephanie gripped the gun tightly and waited as he surveyed the room. He turned toward the bathroom and crept across the room. She followed closely behind, not making a sound. Just as he reached for the handle she positioned the gun right behind his head and pulled back the lock. "Freeze. Or I blow your head off."

She didn't expect the cheesy line to work, but she also hadn't expected him to respond so quickly.

He reached back with surprising agility and gripped her gun, twisting it out of her grip. Then he turned around.

Steph took a step back. He looked so much like Abruzzi…she started to shake despite her determination. He grinned at her and spun the gun around his index finger. "Why, hello Ms. Plum. How has your day been? Killed anyone lately?"

He took a step towards her and she quickly stumbled backwards. He laughed and took another. His hand reached towards her, but she ducked and ran into the kitchen. She heard his heavy boots beat on the floor as he followed her at a leisurely pace. He must have been confident that he could win.

She glanced around the room quickly, hoping to find something, anything that would help her survive. The she saw it. The Cookie jar. She almost laughed. And to think that Ranger and Joe both said that keeping a gun in her cookie jar was pointless. She quickly pulled off the lid and reached inside for the gun. Luckily, it was loaded. Thanks Ranger, she thought to herself as her enemy walked into the room.

"Another gun?" he asked, faking surprise. "Need me to take that one too?"

"Go ahead and try," she retorted with renewed confidence.

His smile faltered. "Think you can beat me? Yeah right. You're the bomber. You can't go a day without being shot at. Now why don't you just lower your gun and let me get this over with. I promise that if you cooperate, I'll make it less painful."

"Less painful? Just what do you plan on doing?"

He grinned, his eyes shining in a way that made her shudder. "I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise." He lunged at her and tried to pull the gun from her hands, but this time she was ready. She turned as the last moment and rammed her knee into his crotch. He gasped and fell to his knees, gun dropping from his hand. Steph grabbed it and emptied the canister of all ammo. Then she threw the gun aside.

He recovered faster than she expected and took hold of her ankle, pulling her to the floor. "Little bitch," he grunted. "You need to be shown how to treat your superiors."

She twisted from his grip and stumbled to her feet. She grabbed the other gun and ran back into the other room. He quickly did the same, catching up with her easily and grabbing her shooting arm. "Give me the gun," he said roughly. She felt something prick her arm, but paid no attention to it. She was more worried about making sure he didn't get the gun back.

"No," she answered angrily. They fought over control of the gun. Every time one gained an advantage the other would quickly move. Together they struggled, trying to point the gun at the other.

He surprised her by letting go suddenly, which sent her sprawling to the floor. He grabbed the gun and pointed it at her. "Goodbye," he whispered.

She moved quickly, but the bullet still got her. She gasped in pain as she felt a searing pain in her left side. With the last of her energy she kicked his leg, making him fall to the floor. She grabbed the gun from his hand and pointed it at his head. "Yeah," she panted. "Goodbye." And she pulled the trigger.


	3. Chapter Two

_**Previously:**_

She moved quickly, but the bullet still got her. She gasped in pain as she felt a searing pain in her left side. With the last of her energy she kicked his leg, making him fall to the floor. She grabbed the gun from his hand and pointed it at his head. "Yeah," she panted. "Goodbye." And she pulled the trigger.

**Chapter Two**

Ranger was pacing in the lobby of the hospital when his cell phone rang. It was Tank. He flipped it open and put it to his ear. "Yo."

"Where are you?"

Ranger was silent for a moment. "I'm at the hospital," he finally said

Tank took a long breath. "Is it the bomber?"

"Yeah," Ranger's voice cracked. "It's her."

"How's she doing?"

Ranger remained silent, unable to say anything. Tank could only assume the worst. "I'm sorry."

"It was a side wound," Ranger said quietly, then added, "from a bullet." Tank let out a colorful string of curses. He knew what that meant.

Ranger watched as a nurse came out of Stephanie's room. She talked to another nurse at the front desk, who pointed at him. He immediately tensed.

"Ranger—" Tank began. "There's something you should know—"

"I'll talk to you later."

"No, Ranger—" He hung up the phone with a loud snap and stuck it into his coat pocket just as the nurse appeared in front of him.

"Mr. Mañoso?" she asked carefully.

"Yes?"

"I've been told to report to you on Ms. Plum's condition." Ranger nodded, hoping she couldn't see his desperation. "Ms. Plum is alive. There was a lot of blood loss, but we were able to supply her with some quickly enough so that not much damage was done."

Ranger almost fell to his knees. He couldn't believe it, she actually survived!

"However," the nurse said, interrupting his thoughts. "There is a problem." Ranger tensed again and waited for her to continue. "Ms. Plum is in a coma. We don't know when she will wake―" she paused and took a breath "―or if she will ever wake up."

Surprised, Ranger took a step backwards and pressed a fist into his forehead. He felt a roaring in his ears. Never wake up? That was impossible. This was his Babe, he thought. She lives through everything. A coma won't slow her down. He chose to ignore the logical part of his mind that was saying that it's hard for anybody to not slow down when they're in a coma.

He took a deep breath and looked up. The nurse was standing there with a knowing look in her eyes. "Can I see her?" he asked hoarsely.

"Of course," she said politely. She led him into Steph's room and left him alone with a small nod of her head.

He looked at the bed and his breath caught. She had a large bandage wrapped around her midsection. The bandage, though thick, already showed signs of blood soaking through. Her eyes were closed and there was a breathing tube down her throat. Numerous tubes and needles were stuck in her arms, leading to the various machines surrounding her bed.

"Babe," he whispered softly. He walked to the side of the bed and carefully touched her face, running his fingers along her cold cheek and forehead. "Don't do this to me. I need you to wake up." She remained completely still.

He sat down in the chair next to the bed and stared at her pale face, hoping for a miracle.


	4. Chapter Three

_**Previously:**_

"Babe," he whispered softly. He walked to the side of the bed and carefully touched her face, running his fingers along her cold cheek and forehead. "Don't do this to me. I need you to wake up." She remained completely still.

He sat down in the chair next to the bed and stared at her pale face, hoping for a miracle.

**Chapter Three**

"Sir?" Ranger turned to see a doctor standing in the doorway.

"What's wrong with her?" he asked tensely, not wasting time with introductions.

"She's in a coma –"

"I know that," Ranger burst out. He paused, trying to control himself. "Why the hell is she in a coma?"

"Well…actually, we don't know."

"What?" Ranger was on his feet instantly. His fists clenched and the doctor took a hesitant step back.

"Uh…well…according to her diagnosis, she should be awake. Her injuries, none of which are on her head, only caused blood loss. There is no real reason for her brain to shut down like it has. The only explanation is…"

"What?" Ranger asked quickly. "What is it?"

The doctor took a deep breath and looked Ranger in the eye. "The only explanation is that whoever did this to her somehow put something in her body that shut down her brain. Easily put, she was poisoned. We can't tell which poison it could be, but most can take up to a month to wear off. And we're not completely sure that is even the problem."

Ranger cursed and turned away, taking deep breaths. "The other man that was with her, he was―"

"―found dead at the scene," the doctor finished. "His diagnosis showed that he died of a gunshot to the head. Presumably by her." He nodded towards the bed.

Ranger nodded slowly. They both stood there for a minute, staring at Stephanie.

Ranger's voice broke when he finally spoke. "What if…" he cleared his throat and turned slightly towards the doctor. "What if she never wakes up?"

The doctor's eyes were sad. "Well, we would give her closest family – in this case her parents – the choice to let her live on life support…or…uh…pull the plug."

Ranger saw black dots in front of his eyes. He suddenly felt a strong urge to hurt somebody. Before he could reach for the doctor he heard a voice coming from the doorway.

"Ranger, I wouldn't do that." Tank stood there. He glanced at Ranger to make sure he had stopped, and then turned to the doctor. "Could we have a moment alone? Thank you." He didn't even wait for the doctor to say something before pushing him out the door and closing it behind him. Then he turned to Ranger, who had moved to the side of the bed and was staring at Steph's face. "It's probably not a good idea to throttle the doctor who is taking care of her."

"Did you hear what he said?"

"Yes, but that doesn't give you leave to hurt him. Any other doctor would have said the same thing."

Ranger raised his eyes brows at Tank. "When did you become so insightful?"

Tank grinned and shrugged. Almost immediately he sobered. "Ranger…I need to tell you something."

Ranger tensed. It was never good when something put that tone in Tank's voice. "Yes?"

Tank fidgeted. "I…uh…tried to tell you on the phone…but—"

"Tell me, damn it!" Ranger snapped.

"It's the Abruzzi family. We were looking up their backgrounds and…uh…"

"SPIT IT OUT!" Ranger roared.

"They have connections to..."


	5. Chapter Four

_**Prevsiouly:**_

"It's the Abruzzi family. We were looking up their backgrounds and…uh…"

"SPIT IT OUT!" Ranger roared.

"They have connections to..."

**Chapter Four**

Joseph Morelli was driving home from work when his pager went off. He looked down at the number and cursed. It was Ranger.

He pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number. Ranger answered with a distracted "Yo."

Morelli rolled his eyes at the curt answer. It always had been hard to get him to say more than a few words at a time. "What's up?"

"It's Steph."

Morelli sighed and turned into his driveway. "What did she do this time?" He got out of the car and walked towards the front door.

"I'm surprised you don't know." Ranger sounded angry, Joe thought to himself.

He inserted his key into the lock and opened the door. "What do you mean? I've been at work all day. What has she gotten herself into now?"

"Just get here."

"Fine. Where the hell are you?"

"The hospital." And he hung up. Judging by the sound of Ranger's voice, there was something really wrong.

Joe shut the front door and went back out into the car. He quickly drove to the hospital and found a parking spot. He made his way inside the emergency room and up to the front desk.

"Ma'am," he said to the woman sitting there, "I'm looking for Ms. Plum. Stephanie—" He stopped when he saw Ranger come out of a nearby room. "Never mind," he told the nurse.

He started walking towards Ranger, but stopped at the look on his face. It was completely feral. He looked like he wanted to strangle, well, him.

"Ranger, what's going on?"

Ranger's eyes blazed and he snarled, "You son of a bitch. What the hell have you done?" Then he punched Morelli in the eye. "You've damn-near killed her!" He punched Morelli again, sending him sprawling to the floor.

"What the hell?" Morelli yelled out, clutching his aching eye. "What is your problem?" He pulled himself to his feet and glanced around, noting the wide-eyed gazes of many nurses and doctors. None of them tried to stop Ranger when he launched himself at Morelli again. He got in a few good punches before Joe felt someone trying to separate them.

His one eye was already swollen shut. He was, however, able to see well enough to notice that it was Tank holding Ranger back. "Thank you," he said roughly.

Tank shook his head. "Don't think I'm doing it for you. I just don't want Ranger to be arrested." Ranger was standing not five feet away, breathing heavily. He looked like he wouldn't mind getting arrested if he was able to get in another punch.

Morelli stared at them both. "What is going on? I thought you said that there was something wrong with Steph. Why the hell are you attacking me?" Ranger's eyes, if possible, got even colder.

"Because this is all your fault!" he roared. "It's your fault that she's dying!"

"Dying?" Morelli whispered. "But…I haven't seen her in days…How could it be my fault?"

Ranger looked as though he was about to explode. Tank shoved him back and said something to him. Ranger looked as though he could care less about what Tank was saying, but after a minute he slowly nodded and, after one last glare at Morelli, stalked through the crowds of people watching and went outside.

Tank walked up to Morelli, a cold look on his face. "Want to see her?" he asked tensely.

Morelli nodded slowly, half expecting Tank to charge him like Ranger had done. What the hell was going on?

He was surprised at how she looked laying on the bed. She seemed so…lifeless. Bruises were scattered all over her body and he could see a larger bandage on her side. "What is that?" he asked Tank. "On her side."

Tank looked at him for a second, and then replied quietly, "Gunshot wound."

Morelli walked to the side of the bed where one of her hands was hanging limply over the edge. He took it carefully in his hands and pulled it up to his lips. "Cupcake," he whispered. "What have you done to yourself?" He stood there for a minute, just staring at her before he gently placed her hand back on the bed and turned to Tank. "What happened?"

Tank didn't reply; he just stared at the bed. Impatient, Morelli waved a hand in from of his face. "I said, what happened?"

Tank's face hardened as his eyes focused on Morelli. "I'm sure you already know. And I think it's time for you to leave."

Morelli cursed and shook his head. "What the hell is wrong with you all? What did I do?"

"Does Abruzzi ring a bell?

"I thought he was dead."

"There's more than one."

"Okay, but what do they have to do with me?" How did they connect him to Abruzzi? "Everything, according to our sources. We have proof that you have been doing business with them. And now, I think it's time for you to leave." With that, Tank roughly shoved him out the door.

Morelli leaned his head against the wall. Something was not right. Things just weren't going like they were supposed to. He would have to find out just what was going on.

With cold determination, he stormed out of the hospital. Ranger was out there, sitting in his truck. When he saw Morelli he got out. The two stood close, tense and ready to fight.

"I didn't do anything." Morelli hissed at him. "Next time make sure your sources are correct. And from now on, I'll be watching over her. You can't seem to do the job well enough." Ranger's face was fierce with rage. Before he could make for an attack, Morelli had walked away towards his own car.

_Scene change_

Ranger went inside just as Tank got off the phone. They were both silent for a moment. "There's another one." Tank said suddenly.

Ranger turned on him. "What?"

"Abruzzi. There were three sons. The original, the one that just died, and now there is a third one out to fight us. Or more specifically, kill her."

Ranger sighed dejectedly. This day didn't seem to be getting any better. "What's going on with him?"

"He just bombed her apartment."

_Scene change_

Ranger walked around the rubble that was once Steph's apartment. They had found a note lying on the floor. It had been taped to a picture of Steph in the hospital. They had no idea how the picture had been taken when Ranger had guards on the room every minute. The note had read, quite simply:

"_Ranger_

_Be happy that your girl is alive. For now. She won't be for much longer. I'll make sure of it._

_-Abruzzi"_

Ranger had increased security outside and inside the hospital, but he was still nervous. If Abruzzi had found a way inside to take the picture, he could probably do it again.

He continued walking around the small apartment, hoping to find a clue as to what might've happened. He grimaced when light reflected into his eyes off of something on the floor. Curious, he knelt down next to the object and picked it up.

It was a broken piece of a syringe. That could only mean one thing: that the doctor's had been correct in assuming that Steph had been poisoned.


	6. Chapter Five

_**Previously:**_

He continued walking around the small apartment, hoping to find a clue as to what might've happened. He grimaced when light reflected into his eyes off of something on the floor. Curious, he knelt down next to the object and picked it up.

It was a broken piece of a syringe. That could only mean one thing: that the doctor's had been correct in assuming that Steph had been poisoned.

**Chapter Five**

The next day, Ranger's cell phone rang while he was in his office. "Yo," He answered.

"Mr. Mañoso? This is Doctor Rodgers from the hospital."

Ranger tensed and sat up. "Yes?"

"I am happy to inform you that we have found an antidote for Ms. Plum's problem. We would like you to be here when we administer it to her tonight at seven o'clock."

"Yes," Ranger managed. "Of course." He hung up the phone after the call and jumped to his feet, nearly knocking over his desk. They had found a cure! He couldn't believe it. He made his way out of the office and nearly ran over Tank in the process. Tank reached out an arm to steady himself and raised his eyebrows. "What's going on?" he asked suspiciously.

"They found a cure." Ranger said quickly and turned to head for the elevator, but was stopped when Tank gripped his arm tightly. "Yes?" he asked stiffly.

"Are you sure­­—" Tank cleared his throat. "Are you sure that this is going to work?"

"That's what the doctor said," Ranger said shortly, not wanting to think about the chances of failure. He had never gotten along well with failure.

He roughly pulled his arm out of Tank's and turned once again to enter the elevator.

_Scene change_

When he got outside, Ranger ran over towards his truck. It was only four o'clock, but he just had to see Steph now. Maybe he'd be able to convince the doctor to administer the antidote sooner…

Suddenly, he heard a loud explosion. He threw himself to the ground and put his arms over his head as debris flew all around. He lay like that until the garage was completely silent.

Then he picked up his head. He couldn't see a thing. The air was thick with smoke and the ground was littered with various pieces of metal.

His eyes stung from the smoke exposure. But he didn't dare close them for fear he'd miss seeing something important. He took a shaky breath but the smoke clogged his lungs. He tried to stand, but ended up on his knees coughing as his body rejected the rough air.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and quickly spun, twisting the person's arm into a painful position.

He heard a grunt of pain. "Damn it, Ranger."

He released the arm, recognizing Tank's rough voice. Then he stood and helped Tank up, offering him a brief apology. "What happened?" Tank asked.

"It must have been a bombing." By now, the smoke was beginning to clear up. They could see for about ten feet in front of them, but then everything was a blur.

Together, they walked forward slowly until they came up to Ranger's truck. Or rather, what remained of Ranger's truck. It was now only an unidentifiable chunk of metal. Ranger cursed and shoved his hands into his pockets. "I guess I should thank you for stopping me up in the hallway."

Tank let out a shaky laugh as a reply and walked towards the steaming pile of junk. "Somebody doesn't want you alive."

"Obviously. I'll give you one guess who."

"I thought he was after Steph."

"Maybe, she was connected to the first Abruzzi because he was her stalker. I'm connected to the first Abruzzi because…well, you know."

"You killed him."

"Yea."

_Scene change_

Ranger used his Porsche for the rest of the day. Instead of going to see Steph as he had planned, he ended up driving all around Trenton, looking for clues as to where Abruzzi could be hiding. How had he gotten through RangeMan security? He had thought it was impossible for anybody to get inside without someone knowing.

Making his way around town, he even checked out Morelli's house. There was no movement inside, which meant that he was probably at work.

He checked around all of the local stores and restaurants, asking everybody he knew if they had seen anybody suspicious.

He returned to his apartment around six thirty with nothing more than he had when he left.

_Scene change_

Stephanie's bed was surrounded by people – her mother, her father, Ranger, Lulu, Connie, and finally, the doctor. Tank was standing guard outside. "I'm going to need you all to stand back," he said. "I don't want her to wake up and be scared from everybody staring at her."

Everybody took a hesitant step back. The doctor accepted a syringe from his assistant nurse and quickly tested it, squirting a little bit into the air. "Before I do this, you should know that this is supposed to work instantly. The antidote will immediately travel through her blood and into her brain, causing it to begin to function on its own again."

The room was completely quiet and he carefully stuck the needle into Steph's arm and injected the liquid.

They all waited after he pulled the needle back out.

Nothing happened.

"Is this a joke?" Ranger asked, an incredulous note in his voice.

The doctor shook his head and stared down at Steph's closed eyes as though willing them to open.

The room was silent except for the silent weeping of Stephanie's mother, who had her face buried in her husband's shoulder.

Ranger cursed and picked up the limp hand that lay draped across the sheets. "Why didn't it work?" he asked quietly.

"Well, Mr. Mañoso, I―I don't know. Just to make sure, we used more of the antidote than truly necessary, so it really should have worked. _It should have worked_." He sighed dejectedly and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Maybe her body just isn't ready to wake up. We'll give her some time, and if nothing happens―well, let's not worry about that just yet."

In time, everybody left, leaving Ranger alone in the room with Stephanie. Her mother was the last to leave. "Ranger?" she asked quietly. "Would you please call if―if anything happens?" He turned to look at her, noticing not for the first time the grief that darkened her face. "Of course," was the quiet answer. She nodded, and with a last long look at her daughter, left.


	7. Chapter Six

_**Previously:**_

In time, everybody left, leaving Ranger alone in the room with Stephanie. Her mother was the last to leave. "Ranger?" she asked quietly. "Would you please call if―if anything happens?" He turned to look at her, noticing not for the first time the grief that darkened her face. "Of course," was the quiet answer. She nodded, and with a last long look at her daughter, left.

**Chapter Six**

Morelli walked into the bar, disguised to look like many of the men in there: old, dirty, and drunk. Ever since Steph had been admitted to the hospital, he had been hiding, hoping to avoid meeting Ranger or anybody that might be against him.

He looked down at the picture in his hand and glanced around the room, trying to find the man he was looking for. The guy up being hard to miss. Charles Lankin was sitting at a small table, playing poker with some other men. His distinction from all the other men was the large 'A' carved into one side of his face. The raised scar stood out clearly on his dark skin.

Making sure to keep his focus on Lankin, Morelli walked slowly to the bar and ordered a beer. When the bartender handed him the drink, he settled down to wait. The bar was much too crowded to confront Lankin now, especially with what Morelli planned on talking about. He planned to wait until the crowds cleared and Lankin was leaving to talk.

For the next three hours, Morelli cradled the same bottle of beer in his hands, only taking the occasional sip. He waited patiently for Lankin to finish each of the games, hoping every time that it would be the last. When Lankin finally stood to leave, Morelli was all but asleep. He quickly downed the rest of his beer and stood, making his way outside.

When he got out into the cool night air, Morelli walked a few feet from the door and leaned against the wall, hoping to look like someone who didn't plan on going anywhere any time soon.

A few minutes later, Lankin walked out the door alone and started towards the parking lot. Hoping for a peaceful, non-violent talk, Morelli simply jogged to catch up and fell in step next to Lankin. "Mind if I talk to you for a minute?" he asked, putting a tone of power in his voice.

"Not really," Lankin responded calmly. "Do you think I didn't notice you watching me all night long? Had I wanted to avoid you, I could've easily."

Morelli tried to hide his surprise at being noticed and explained himself, "I just have a few questions for you about Abruzzi."

Lankin tensed and turned towards Morelli, a hateful glare in his eyes. "Don't you speak that name in front of me." He hissed. "I don't need some crap cop talking to me about that bastard."

"Why do you think I'm a cop?" Morelli asked.

"You walk like one, you talk like one. I can see the gun you have strapped in your boot and the holster you have hidden under those rags."

Morelli nodded, "Okay, you've got me. My name is Joseph Morelli. I'm a Trenton cop. I just have a few questions for you. This has nothing to do with my job."

"Fine," Lankin said, "but make it quick. I have somewhere I need to be."

"I'm assuming by the scar on your cheek that you weren't on good terms with Abruzzi."

"True."

"And I'm also assuming you know that Abruzzi is dead."

"Yes, but there are two more."

"Actually, there's only one. One was killed recently when trying to murder someone."

"Pity," Lankin said, not a drop of sympathy in his voice.

Morelli nodded, "Seeing as you did '_business'_ with one, I was hoping you might be able to tell me something about the last one."

"Why do you care about him? I'll tell you right now, it's better to leave that family alone."

"It's personal," was the short reply.

Lankin sighed and pulled his keys out of his pocket. "There's not much to tell you. The Abruzzi family is―divided, I guess is a good word. The people—or I guess person—that you're trying to find lives in a small house just outside of Trenton. Here," He pulled out a ripped piece of paper and wrote a street name on it. "I don't remember which house he owns, but that's the street."

"Thank you," Morelli said.

"No problem," Lankin said, "And good luck." With that, he got into his car and drove away. Morelli watched until the rear lights faded from view, then looked down at the piece of paper in his hand.

_Rickburg Avenue_


	8. Chapter Seven

_**Previously:**_

"No problem," Lankin said, "And good luck." With that, he got into his car and drove away. Morelli watched until the rear lights faded from view, then looked down at the piece of paper in his hand.

_Rickburg Avenue_

**Chapter Seven:**

Ranger sat at the desk in his office, staring mindlessly at his computer screen. It had been two weeks since Stephanie went into the coma and he still had no leads on finding Abruzzi.

He looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers slowly. With a dejected sigh, he turned off the computer and picked up a small remote. He pointed it at the camera on the wall and hit the power button, effectively turning off his connection to the control room.

"Ranger," Tank's deep voice came into the room from the overhead speaker. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," was the short reply before Ranger also hit the power switch on the speakers.

He stood up and walked to the cabinets along one side of the room. Opening one of the doors, he dug around and pulled out a bottle of brandy. And another.

He stuffed them into a brown bag and grabbed his keys off of the desk. Before he left the room, he turned the camera and speakers back on. Just because he was depressed didn't mean that he shouldn't be wary of intruders.

He made his way to the nearby elevator and pushed the button on his keychain that took the elevator up to the seventh floor.

When the door finally opened, he strode directly into the kitchen and took a glass out of one of the cabinets. He poured himself a generous amount of the brandy before lifting the glass to his mouth and downing it, ignoring the burning pain that it caused in his throat. When the glass was finally empty, he took a gasp of breath and closed his eyes, letting the alcohol numb his body.

He poured himself another glass and took it and the two bottles into the adjacent room, where he settled down on the couch. He switched on the television and cursed. Stephanie's face was being shown as the news announcer explained the story.

'_It seems that Trenton's Bombshell Bounty Hunter might have met her final match. Just two weeks ago…'_

Ranger quickly changed the channel and picked up the nearby glass of brandy. He held it in his hand for a minute, glaring at it as though it was the source of his problems. Then he raised the glass to his lips and drank it down.

_Scene change_

Ranger lifted a hand to his head and groaned. He tried to open his eyes, but the light made his eyes feel like burning balls of fire. He fumbled around with his hands, trying to figure out where he was.

Eventually, he was able to get himself upright. He opened his eyes and blinked a few times. He looked around and realized that he was still in his apartment. That, at least, was good.

He carefully lifted himself off the floor and looked around the room. The television was still on, playing some old movie in black and white. Ranger picked up the remote and clicked it off, then tossed the remote onto the couch.

He missed, and the remote fell onto the hardwood floor with a loud noise. He cringed; any noise right now was too loud for him to bear.

His luck wasn't with him, because just then the phone decided to ring. He glared at the blinking receiver and ignored it, hoping it would just go away. After what felt like a hundred rings, the machine picked it up.

"Hello, this is Doctor Rodgers from the Trenton Medical Center. I am calling to inform a Mr. Carlos Mañoso on the condition of one Ms. Stephanie Plum." Ranger listened and held his breath at the doctor paused. Something didn't feel right. The doctor's voice sounded grave when he continued. "It has been decided that Ms. Plum's life support will be permanently turned off tonight, at precisely eight o'clock." Ranger closed his eyes slowly and cursed everything he could think of. "I'm sorry," the doctor said before hanging up.

Ranger fisted his hands and pressed them into his forehead. How could they do this to her? To him? To his great dismay, he felt a tear leak out of his eye. What right did they have to choose whether or not she lived. They just needed to give her a chance; his Babe would never give up without a fight.

Ranger leaned against the nearby wall and put his face in his hands. He had to think of a way to stop anything from happening, especially _this_.

He slowly slid down the wall until he reached the floor. His dropped his hands from his face and looked directly ahead, staring at nothing in particular. He _would_ find a way to save Stephanie's life.

_Scene change_

On the other side of town, Morelli's large truck pulled onto a small street.

He slowly worked his way down the road, looking for anything that might give away Abruzzi's location. All of the houses looked exactly the same. How was he supposed to know which one belonged to Abruzzi?

He was about ready to turn around when his cell phone rang. "Hello?" he answered.

"Hello, this is Doctor Rodgers…" Morelli listened to the doctor's message, speechless. When the call ended, he tossed the phone onto the passenger seat and rested his forehead on the steering wheel. How could this happen?

He sat there for a few minutes, thinking. He watched as a garage door opened on the other side of the street. A man walked outside and looked around warily before getting into his car and driving away.

Morelli grinned. He had just found Abruzzi.

_Scene change_

Deciding to wait until that night to confront Abruzzi, Joe made his way to the hospital. He had one last thing to do.

_Scene change_

"Ranger? Damn it, get up!" Ranger opened his eyes to see a very angry Tank standing above him.

"Huh?" he asked.

Tank's eyes darkened in anger and he roughly pulled Ranger to his feet. "What are you doing? Do you really think that drinking is going to save her life?"

Ranger lifted heavy eyes up to Tank's face. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it, shaking his head. Tank frowned and shoved Ranger towards the bedroom. "Do you know what time it is?"

Ranger shook his head. He vaguely remembered that something important was supposed to happen tonight, but he couldn't for the life of him remember exactly what that something was.

"It's seven-thirty. Any chance that empty head of yours remembers what's happening at eight?"

Ranger's head shot up and he glared at Tank. "You have no right to insult me," he said slowly. "You have no idea what I've been through."

Tank shook his head. "You're not the only one who loves her, and if you don't do something, she's going to die in half an hour."

Ranger's eyes flew open, suddenly clear. "Damn it," he said.

"Exactly."

Five minutes later, Ranger was showered and dressed in clean clothes and he and Tank were driving not too slowly towards the hospital.

"What the hell didn't you come and get me sooner?" Ranger growled after a couple minutes of silence.

Tank leveled a long stare at Ranger. "I just got back. Lester and Bobby and I were out trying to find Abruzzi." There was a tone in his voice that made Ranger instantly feel guilty. They had been out trying to catch the enemy and he had been at home, drowning his sorrows in brandy.


	9. Chapter Eight

_**Previously:**_

Tank leveled a long stare at Ranger. "I just got back. Lester and Bobby and I were out trying to find Abruzzi." There was a tone in his voice that made Ranger instantly feel guilty. They had been out trying to catch the enemy and he had been at home, drowning his sorrows in brandy.

**Chapter Eight**

The doctor walked into the room at precisely seven forty-five. Everybody that had been there the last time was back. Stephanie's parents, both clothed in black for mourning, stood on one side of the bed. Lulu and Connie were at the foot of the bed, weeping and hugging each other close. Lulu had a bag from McDonalds next to her, which she claimed was going to be her comfort food.

Ranger stood on the remaining side of the bed, watching the doctor's every move as tests were made and Stephanie was prepared. The nurses did their best to make Stephanie look nice, but it was difficult when she was clothed in a hospital-issued robe and had numerous tubes in her arms and face.

As the doctor made his final adjustments, Ranger glanced at the clock on the wall. It was seven fifty-two. He dreaded the moment that would come when the remaining eight minutes were up. He looked back down at Stephanie, his gaze traveling across the various bandages on her body. The side wound has almost completely healed, leaving behind a small red scar. The bruises had yet to fade; they were still a nasty yellowish green color.

Ranger reached for the hand that lay limp in front of him. The nurses had placed a few small white daisies on the bed in the center of Stephanie's chest. They stood out from the pale blue of the blanket that covered her body.

Ranger rubbed his thumbs over his Babe's pale knuckles, wishing that he could do something – anything – to make this nightmare end. He regretted that he had never really opened up with her. He'd always thought that there would be more time. And now that time had come to an end.

His thoughts were interrupted when the doctor cleared his throat, getting everybody's attention. "Does anybody wish to say anything?" he asked quietly.

Stephanie's mother nodded and stepped up to the bed, taking hold of Stephanie's other hand. Her voice cracked when she began to speak, "I'm sorry," she said, "For everything. I know that I never treated you like I should have. You just scared me sometimes. I was always scared that something like this would happen." She closed her eyes, breathing deeply as tears streamed down her face. "I really hope that you know how much I love you." She carefully put Stephanie's hand back on the bed and stepped back into her husband's embrace.

Stephanie's father cleared his throat. "Pumpkin, I just want you to know that I love you and I was always proud of you." He nodded slowly and looked down at the floor.

Lulu was next. "Damn, girl," she said quietly, "You just had to go and get yourself all messed up like this." She gave a loud sniffle, "And now I'm going to have to cancel that shopping date we had planned on Friday. It just won't be the same without you."

Connie lifted her head and looked at Stephanie. "I'm really going to miss you," she said, then gave a watery smile. "How am I supposed to work with Vinnie without you around to help?" The smile faded and she wiped a hand roughly over her face. "You were a good friend, Steph."

That left Ranger. He looked down at Stephanie's pale face and lifted a shaking hand to tuck a stray curl behind her ear. He pulled his hand back slowly, clenching it into a tight fist. Everybody was silent as he knelt next to the bed and bent over to give her a quick kiss. "I love you," he whispered in her ear. He spent another moment just staring at her face before he stood up again. He let out a shaky breath and nodded to the doctor.

"Before I start, I would like you thank you all for being here," he said. "Sometimes people are forgotten and uncared for when they are in conditions similar to MS. Plum's. It's good to know how much you all cared about her." He gave everybody a small smile before returning his attention to Stephanie. He sighed at turned towards the life support machines. "After the plug is pulled, her heart will slowly shut down, followed by the rest of her body."

He motioned to a nurse to assist Stephanie's mother in case she broke down. Then he reached out and, with one last sigh, flipped the switch that closed the machine's connection to Stephanie's body.

Ranger closed his eyes, waiting for the dreadful moment when the machine that measured Stephanie's heart rate would stop beeping and become that long, pain-filled note. He kept on waiting, only it never happened. He opened his eyes and looked at the doctor, who, live everybody else in the room, looked very surprised.

They all waited silently for a minute. The beeping never stopped. The doctor's face creased into a wide smile. "Well," he said, "It would seem that Ms. Plum has decided to join us in the conscious world. She breathing and functioning without the life support.

Stephanie's mother feinted, thankfully into the arms of the ready nurse. Lulu and Connie both screamed.

Ranger heard a roaring in his ears and gripped the edge of the bed tightly. She was alive.

She was alive.

_Alive._

He couldn't prevent to shudder of relief that went through his body. His knees were weak, but he didn't care. Because she was _alive_.

Stephanie's mother was taken into a nearby room, accompanied by her husband.

The doctor, still bearing a cheerful smile, asked Lulu and Connie to leave, which they did happily, saying that they were going to need more comfort food than they thought.

After they left the doctor looked at Ranger. "Seeing as you seem to be—" he searched for the right word "—stable, I'll tell you what can be expected after what has happened. After we take a few tests, we will be able to determine just how Ms. Plum is doing. It's quite obvious that she can function without the life support, which means that her body has come out of the coma. She is merely sleeping. It will take a while for her body to get enough energy to wake up, maybe a day or two."

Ranger nodded, unable to speak.

The doctor continued, "If all goes well, she should be able to go home in about a week."

Ranger still didn't respond.

She was _alive._


	10. Author's Note

Okay, this story isn't going quite as I had planned, so I'm going to take some time to edit it and get it back to where I want it. It might take me awhile because I have some pretty good ides (at least I think so). So, this story is on a temporary pause.

Thanks to all of my reviewers and I promise that I'll have this going again as soon as I can.

xBxAxMx


	11. Author's Note 2

Okay, I ended up fixing everything a lot faster than I had planned. Everything is pretty much the same except for Morelli's role. It would probably be good to go back and reread the story just so that you know how I changed him. It really makes a difference to the story.

I'll post chapter nine as soon as I can get myself to actually write it. : )

xBxAxMx


	12. Chapter Nine

_**Previously:**_

The doctor continued, "If all goes well, she should be able to go home in about a week."

Ranger still didn't respond.

She was _alive._

**Chapter Nine**

Joe parked his large truck around the corner of Abruzzi's house and walked leisurely down the sidewalk. The street was completely dark except for the flickering light coming from one of the streetlights.

A single light was on in Abruzzi's house. The colorful flicker of a television could be seen through the window. Joe walked soundlessly up to the window and took a quick glance around. There was no sign of Abruzzi. There was half a bowl of popcorn sitting on a side table and an empty beer bottle.

Joe made his way to the front door and tested the knob. Unlocked. He opened the door silently and crept into the room, not making a noise. He pulled his gun out of its holster and checked the barrel, making sure the canister was full. Then he leveled the gun in front of him and crept slowly through the room and down the adjacent hallway. There was a faint light shining under a nearby doorway. He walked up to the door and listened. There was the sound of a toilet flushing and then the sink being turned on.

Joe stood flat against the wall next to the door and cocked his gun, aiming it at the door. After a minute, the sink faucet was turned off and the door opened.

"Abruzzi," Joe called quietly.

A man walked out of the bathroom and took an assessing look at Joe. "Oh, it's you."

Joe grinned at put the gun back in its holster. "Did I scare you?"

"Not one bit."

"Liar."

Joe followed Abruzzi down the hallway and into the kitchen. "How did you find me here?" Abruzzi asked him.

"I talked to Charles Lankin."

Abruzzi laughed. "And what did he say? Did he show off his lovely scar?"

Joe laughed back, "Not quite. He warned me against coming to see you. Said that I should be cautious."

Abruzzi grinned, "I guess you didn't tell him the truth?"

"Why would I?"

"No reason. Want a beer?" Joe nodded. Abruzzi opened the fridge and pulled out two bottles and gave one to Joe. "So why are you here?"

Joe sighed and settled himself in one of the chairs at the kitchen table. "Steph's parents decided to turn off her life support today." Abruzzi looked surprised. "Don't worry," Joe said. "I went in and gave her a shot of the real antidote to the poison so that she wouldn't actually die. Nobody saw me do it."

Abruzzi nodded. "It wouldn't be nice for her to die too soon."

"But we have a problem," Joe said. "Mañoso has somehow found a way to connect me to you. He's suspicious."

Abruzzi cursed. "How did he figure that out? We did our best to keep this quiet."

Joe shook his head. "I don't know." They were both silent for a minute. "Well," Joe said, putting down his now-empty bottle of beer. "I've got to get going." He grinned at Abruzzi. "You should have seen the look on their faces when she didn't die after they turned off the machines. It was priceless."

Abruzzi laughed. "Wish I could've been there."

A.N. Okay, so what do you guys think of the new Morelli? Hehe, I wanted to try something different for once. I know this chapter is really short, but I wanted to get it out. I'll try to make the next one longer. (It's when Steph wakes up.)

Review please!


	13. Chapter Ten

_**Previously:**_

"Well," Joe said, putting down his now-empty bottle of beer. "I've got to get going." He grinned at Abruzzi. "You should have seen the look on their faces when she didn't die after they turned off the machines. It was priceless."

Abruzzi laughed. "Wish I could've been there."

**Chapter Ten**

The pain was horrible. Every muscle felt like it was trying to rip itself out of her body. She moaned quietly and attempted to open her eyes. The brightness of the room surprised her and she quickly shut them again.

"Babe?" The voice came from somewhere in the room. She felt a hand touch her face and push aside some stray curls. She tried to pick up an arm to swat the hand away, but she couldn't find the energy to move. "Babe?" The voice came again. "Can you hear me?"

"Mmmff," was her reply. Only now did she realize that something was stuffed down her throat. Panicked, she struggled to dislodge whatever it was, twisting her head from side to side.

"Stop!" she heard the voice say, but she ignored it. She continued to struggle until someone's hands held her head still. "Someone get the doctor," the voice said. She could hear footsteps leave the room. Still scared, she tried to break away from the person's grip, but they held her easily, preventing any movement.

"Mmmmfff," she said. She tried again to open her eyes and was able to keep them open for a second before the light hurt too much. Whoever was holding her head was standing behind her, out of view. "Mmmmfff," she said again, the sound becoming more panicked.

"Shhh," someone whispered in her ear. "It's okay. You're in a hospital. Someone went to go get the doctor." The voice seemed vaguely familiar, but she was too scared to pay much attention. She struggled more against the grip on her head and was finally able to summon enough energy to move her arms. She reached back weakly and tried to move whoever it was, but they didn't budge. She felt tears sting her eyes at the fear she felt. Whatever was going on, she didn't like it. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly with her panicked breathing.

A man in a white lab coat came into the room and looked at her, a worried expression on his face. He said something to the person behind her and she could feel him tense, his hands tightening slightly around her head. She whimpered and closed her eyes, thinking that he was trying to hurt her. She felt someone move next to her and opened her eyes to see the man in the white coat pick up a needle off a nearby table. Her eyes went wide and she struggled even harder against the arms holding her down. She kicked and punched as hard as she could, but it was to no avail. The man put the needle in her arm and injected the liquid.

In seconds, she felt her body loosening and relaxing. She fought it as best as she could, but was quickly overcome with sleep.

_Scene change_

Once Stephanie was sedated, Ranger let go of her head and looked at the doctor. "Why was she like that?" he asked.

The Doctor Rodgers sighed, "She was probably just scared. It might take her some time to remember why she's here, and until then, she's going to be frightened. Next time she wakes up I'll give her a smaller dose of the sedative. That way, she'll stay awake, but not be able to fight us while we try to talk to her."

Ranger nodded and sat down next to the bed. "How long will she be asleep?"

"Not too long. With the dose I gave her, anywhere from a half hour to an hour. When she does wake up, send a nurse to get me and we'll work on getting her better." He gave Ranger a small smile and left, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Ranger sat in that same place for fifty minutes before Stephanie moved at all. He saw her fingers move a little and quickly stood next to the bed. She tried to sit up, but whimpered and gave up. Ranger quickly sent a nurse for the doctor. He remained standing there until the doctor showed up not a minute later.

"So, she's awake." He clapped his hands together and walked to the bed. "Stephanie," he called quietly. "Can you hear me? Make any noise at all if you can hear me." A small, pained moan sounded from her throat. "Good," the doctor said. "Now, I'm going to remove this tube from your throat. It might hurt a bit, but it'll be quick."

Ranger grimaced at the frightened sound she made, but he knew that this was necessary. The doctor took a firm hold of the tube sticking out of her mouth and yanked, pulling it out.

Stephanie gasped in pain, coughing and sputtering. Her eyes opened ever so slightly and she looked up at the man standing above her.

"Ranger," she croaked, and then coughed again. The doctor quickly brought over a glass of water. She drank it greedily. When she was finished she looked up at Ranger again. Neither notices the doctor slip quietly from the room.

"Why am I here?" she asked quietly, her weak voice barely more than a whisper.

"Don't you remember?" Ranger asked her. She shook her head. Ranger sighed and took her hand. He placed it gently on the thick bandage wrapped around her mid-section. Her eyes went wide and she tried to sit up. Range hurriedly pushed her back down. "You're going to hurt yourself," he said.

She hesitated, but complied, laying back into the pillows. "What happened?" she asked him.

Ranger shook his head, unable to speak. The fright of the past couple weeks finally caught up with him as he looked into her tired blue eyes. He reached out with a trembling hand to brush aside the limp curls framing her face and rest his palm on her cheek. She looked up at him and covered his hand with her own. She slowly closed her eyes and rubbed her cheek against his palm.

Ranger leaned down and lightly brushed his lips over her own, then rested his forehead on hers, removing his hand from her cheek. Her eyes opened slowly and looked up into his dark eyes. He took a deep breath and cleared his throat. "You were shot," he told her bluntly. "You've been comatose for just over two weeks." The room was quiet for a second while Ranger struggled to think of a way to describe everything to her. If she didn't remember Abruzzi he wasn't going to bring it up. "There was a man," he finally said, "trying to kill you. He cornered you in your apartment and you two fought. He shot you, but you were able to shoot back." Ranger hesitated. "He's dead, but now his brother is after you." His eyes were intense as he stared into her face. "We need to get you to a safe house. There have already been attempts on your life." He decided to leave out the part about her being poisoned. She already had enough to deal with.

Stephanie had remained quiet throughout Ranger's explanation. Now she looked up at him with watery eyes filled with fright. "I'm sorry," she said quietly and wiped her tears away fiercely. "I hate crying."

Ranger shook his head and tried to lighten the mood. "At least your car wasn't blown up," he joked. He decided to also wait on telling her about her apartment.

Steph gave a forced laugh. "How's Rex?" she asked him.

Ranger froze. He hadn't even thought about that. It looked like he'd have to tell her about the apartment after all. He sighed. This wouldn't help the situation at all.

Steph, concerned at his hesitation, struggled to sit up. "He's alright, isn't he?" She pulled herself into a sitting position even though the pain was obvious on her face. "Where is he?"

"Babe…I know that you're not going to take this easily, but you need to try to be calm." Ranger took another deep breath. "The brother of the man you killed decided to get some revenge quickly. He bombed your apartment."

Steph cried out and buried her face in her hands, crying uncontrollably. Ranger wrapped his arms around her and whispered comforting words in her ear.

They were interrupted by a knock at the door. A nurse walked in and placed a try of medical supplies next to the bed, then turned to Ranger. "Mr. Mañoso, you're going to have to leave so that we may perform a few tests on Ms. Plum to determine her condition."

"I want to stay," Ranger said tensely. Something didn't feel right.

"I'm sorry, Sir, but seeing as your aren't a legal family member of Ms. Plum, you cannot be present."

Ranger knew he was stuck. "I'll wait outside the door," he said. He gave Steph a quick kiss on her forehead and stood. "Will Doctor Rodgers be performing the tests?" he asked the nurse.

"No, Sir. I will. Doctor Rodgers is busy with another patient."

Ranger studied her for a quick second and then nodded. He left the room without another noise.


	14. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter 11**

Tank was standing guard outside. Ranger greeted him with a nod and stood beside him. "I want a complete background check on the nurse," he said.

"I tried," Tank answered. "She refused to give me her name. She said it was none of my business." He took a deep breath. "I don't trust her."

"Same here," Ranger agreed. "I'm going to talk to the doctor." He walked down the hall in the direction of the doctor's offices. When he arrived, he walked up to the secretary sitting at the small desk in the reception room. "Do you know when Doctor Rodgers will be finished with his current patient?" he asked her.

The secretary looked at him, a concerned look on her face. "Sir, Doctor Rodgers in not currently with a patient. He has kept his schedule open so that he can take care of Ms. Plum."

Ranger tensed. "Where is he now?"

"In his office."

Ranger ran into the adjacent room, where the doctor was sitting at his desk. "What test is the nurse performing on Stephanie?"

Doctor Rodgers looked up and slowly took off his glasses, a confused look on his face. "I didn't send in a nurse."

Ranger froze, ice filling his veins. "What?"

"I didn't send in―" he didn't finish. Ranger was already out the door and running down the hallway. The doctor hurriedly followed.

The nurse was walking rapidly in the opposite direction when Ranger turned the corner. "Get her!" He yelled out to Tank before throwing open the door to Stephanie's room and running inside.

He entered chaos. Machines were beeping and whining with their urgency. Red lights were flashing from many of them. But the worst sight was Stephanie. Her back was arched at a painful angle as her muscles tensed and fought against whatever the nurse had done. Beads of sweat stood out on her face and arms and her eyes were wide open in shock and pain.

Ranger's observations took only a second and he quickly ran to her side. "Stephanie," he said loudly. "Babe, I need you to relax." He pushed down on hard on her abdomen to try to get her to lie flat, but she only whimpered and tried to move away from his touch.

Doctor Rodgers ran in, breathing heavily, and rushed over next to Ranger." "We don't have time to call the nurses," he said after seeing Steph. "I need you to do everything you can to get her to lie down. As long as she is panicked and tensed, whatever was done to her will just spread through her body faster." (AN I don't know if this is true, but that's how it's going to work for now.)

Ranger nodded curtly and obeyed, bearing down on Steph with all of his strength. He was surprised by her strength and had to put all of his weight and muscle into it. "Sedate her!" he snapped at the doctor, who shook his head.

"I can't. Until we know what's wrong, there is always the possibility that sedation will make things worse in the end."

Ranger groaned and, pushing aside his fear, pressed Stephanie further down.Suddenly she let out a gasp and stopped fighting. She fell back onto the mattress and looked up at Ranger, pain in her eyes. She tried weakly to lift her arm, but was unable. Her eyes slowly closed and her head went limp, falling to the side.

Ranger was escorted, or rather, forced out of the room by security while Doctor Rodgers tried to figure out what happened. He stood barely inches from the door, leaning against the wall.

To occupy his time, he called Tank.

"Did you get her?"

"Yeah."

There was a small pause. "Well?" Ranger asked impatiently.

"She works for Abruzzi."

Ranger cursed and slammed his phone shut, cutting off Tank's explanation. He had figured that was the problem, but he had still hoped it wasn't true.

He stood in thought for a minute. How was Abruzzi getting all of this information? He must have had a source. There had been the accusation on Morelli, but Ranger had figured that by his reaction, Morelli couldn't have had anything to do with it. Now he wasn't so sure. And the pictures? With the security, everybody was checked before going into Steph's room. Except Morelli…he could have taken a picture and gotten it to Abruzzi…

With renewed anger, Ranger left to find Morelli.

_FIN_

Okay, I know that this chapter is short, but the last one was somewhat long! Anywho, I'm out of ideas…If anybody has a recommendation or something, it would be most appreciated!


	15. Chapter Twelve

_**Previously:**_

_He stood in thought for a minute. How was Abruzzi getting all of this information? He must have had a source. There had been the accusation on Morelli, but Ranger had figured that by his reaction, Morelli couldn't have had anything to do with it. Now he wasn't so sure. And the pictures? With the security, everybody was checked before going into Steph's room. Except Morelli…he could have taken a picture and gotten it to Abruzzi…_

_With renewed anger, Ranger left to find Morelli._

**Chapter Twelve**

Stephanie groaned and clutched her aching head. It felt as though little leprechauns with pointy shoes had taken up residence. It took all of her strength to pull herself into an upright position. When her eyes adjusted to the bright light, so looked around at the white starchiness of the hospital room.

The room was empty, and completely quiet except for the persistent buzzing and beeping of the machines. "Ranger?" she called, but it came out as a croak. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Ranger?" When nobody answered, she got a little scared. Where had he gone? And why wasn't somebody in the room with her, watching to make sure she was okay?

Stephanie resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Since when did she need people to watch over her? She was perfectly capable to survive on her own. To prove it to herself, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and pushed herself up so that she was standing. The floor swayed beneath her and she bit back a curse, realizing too late that she didn't have anywhere near enough energy to stay up. Black dots danced before her eyes and she felt her knees buckle. The last thing she remembered seeing was a dark body in the doorway as she fell to the floor.

_Scene Change_

After checking Morelli's house, the police station, and his Parent's house, Ranger was running out of ideas on where he could find Joe. He even checked around all of the local bars and men's clubs. He rested his head against the steering wheel and took a deep breath, then pulled out his phone to call Tank.

"How's she doing?" he asked when Tank answered.

Tank took a seconds' hesitation before answering. "She woke up, but feinted after trying to get out of the bed."

Ranger gripped the phone tighter. "And why wasn't somebody with her?" he asked through clenched teeth.

Tank's nervousness was obvious. "Uh, well, I was posted outside the door. I heard some movement inside and opened it in time to see her fall down. I got her back into the bed; she seems alright."

None of Tank's reassurances made Ranger feel any better. "Why the hell wasn't somebody in the room with her?" he yelled into the phone. "I have twenty of my best men posted in the damn hospital and you can't find even one to stand in her room?"

Ranger hung up the phone before Tank had a chance to respond. After a long day of searching for Morelli and not finding him, he was not in the mood to hear about his employees' faults.

He roughly turned his truck around and headed back to the hospital.

_Scene Change_

The next time Stephanie woke, it was almost a day later. Ranger was sitting at the side of her bed. He looked pale and tired, she noted, but that changed when he noticed that she was awake. His eyes brightened as he reached forward and took one of her hands between his. He gave it a quick kiss, then leaned in and brushed his lips lightly across hers.

"How are you feeling?" he asked carefully.

"Okay, I guess." She responded quietly. "My chest really hurts."

Ranger smiled. "That's to be expected when you've been shot."

Steph nodded. "When can I leave?"

Ranger laughed and pressed another kiss into her palm. "I'll get you out as soon as I can. You'll be safer at RangeMan or one of my safe houses."

"Safer from what?" Steph asked, a curious look in her eyes.

Ranger stared at her. "Don't you remember anything that's happened in the past couple weeks?"

"The last thing I remember is…Oh, God."

"What?" Ranger asked, panicked.

"Abruzzi."

Ranger relaxed a little bit. "Good. At least you remember something. I assume you want to know what's been going on?"

Steph nodded slowly, as though scared of what was coming. Which she should be, thought Ranger. "Where do you want me to start?" he asked.

"At the beginning."

Ranger sighed. "You remember the day you shot Abruzzi?" Stephanie nodded. "You were in a coma for two weeks after that. Your parents decided, as per your wishes, now to keep you on life support. It was arranged for the machines to be turned off." Ranger took a deep breath, reliving these events even as he was telling them. "The date was set for four days ago."

Stephanie, noticing his troubled eyes and voice, reached out and stroked the hand that was covering hers, keeping her eyes on his face.

"Your parents, Lulu, Connie, and I came to watch as the doctors did the procedure. After we all said our goodbyes, the switch was turned off."

Ranger looked up into Stephanie's teary eyes. "Those were the worst moments of my life," he whispered. "I was standing there, watching you die, and there was nothing I could do."

He took a breath, cleared his throat, and went on. "We all stood there, waiting for your heart monitor to shut down, only it didn't. You kept on breathing; your body kept working without the help of the life support machines.

"What you have to understand is that nobody knows why you were in a coma. Well, not really, at least. We know that you were poisoned during your fight with Abruzzi. There was a broken syringe found in your apartment. We have no idea what the poison was, or why it stopped affecting your body in time for the machines to be turned off.

"You woke up in here the next day. You were incoherent and scared and wouldn't let anybody touch you, so we had to sedate you. The next time you woke up, you were perfectly fine and you and I talked for a few minutes."

Stephanie shook her head. "I don't remember that."

Ranger smiled slightly. "Probably not. You were filled with drugs to keep away the pain." The smile faded quickly.

"A nurse came in and said that she had to perform some tests on you to make sure that everything was going okay. I didn't trust her, but there was no way that I could stay in the room with you. So I left."

He looked away from her then, and took a deep breath. Stephanie reached up and stroked a hand across his shoulders, feeling the tense muscles. She watched as he closed his eyes and leaned into her touch.

When he regained his composure, he turned back to her. "It turns out that the nurse worked for Abruzzi. She injected something into you. We don't know what it is or what it could do to you. The doctor's have been examining your organs and vital signs, but nothing seems to be wrong." He let out a shaky breath. "I don't like not having control, and these stupid men seem to be mixing everything up."

Only too late did Ranger realize his mistake.

"Men?" Stephanie asked. "There's more than just Abruzzi?"

Ranger winced and stood up. "You need to get some sleep. I promise I'll tell you everything as soon as we're out of this stupid hospital."

Stephanie looked like she was about to protest, so Ranger gave her a quick kiss. "I promise," he said, looking straight into her eyes.

Stephanie nodded and closed her eyes, falling almost immediately into a dreamless sleep.


	16. Chapter Thirteen

_**Previously:**_

_Ranger winced and stood up. "You need to get some sleep. I promise I'll tell you everything as soon as we're out of this stupid hospital."_

_Stephanie looked like she was about to protest, so Ranger gave her a quick kiss. "I promise," he said, looking straight into her eyes._

_Stephanie nodded and closed her eyes, falling almost immediately into a dreamless sleep._

**Chapter Thirteen**

Joseph Morelli laughed as he watched the tiny dot move rapidly over the screen. It would seem that Ranger had yet to find the GPS marker that was planted in his truck. The man couldn't be that good if he couldn't even tell that he was being tracked.

Morelli had spent the previous afternoon watching the small red dot roam all around Trenton, presumably looking for him, until it finally returned to the hospital. Now he watched as the dot moved through the town again, and then stopped at RangeMan. He pulled out his cell phone, hitting the speed dial that automatically called Abruzzi.

"Hey," he said when Abruzzi answered. "They're coming. Get ready."

_Scene Change_

Ranger had an uneasy feeling as he pulled into the RangeMan underground parking lot. Stephanie was sitting in the seat next to him, eyes closed, breathing steadily.

Ranger had been able to convince the hospital to release her early, but only with the promise that she would be returned if anything got worse. He parked the car in his spot and got out. Steph stayed in her seat until he came around to her side and opened her door. Ranger reached around her and unbuckled the seatbelt before lifting her up into his arms.

He carried her to the elevator, flanked by Lester and Tank, who were watching for anything that could cause potential harm to Stephanie.

They rode the elevator to the seventh floor, where Bobby was waiting. He had been called earlier and told to have medical supplies ready in case the need should arise.

Ranger carried Steph into his bedroom and laid her gently on the bed, where she fell instantly into sleep. Then he left the room and closed the door quietly behind him.

"You can leave," he said to Lester and Bobby. He turned to Tank after they obediently left the room. "I want a man posted at every elevator door, every window, every possible place somebody could use to get in here."

Tank nodded and left silently.

Ranger sighed, finally admitting to himself that he was tiring himself out. He hadn't slept much more than a few hours in the past few days. He lay down on the couch and was instantly asleep.

He was instantly jolted awake a few minutes later to the buzzing of his cell phone. He quickly sat up and picked up the phone, now wanting the noise to disturb Stephanie's sleep. The screen displayed 'unknown caller.'

Ranger frowned and flipped it open. "Who is this?" he said sternly.

A soft chuckle sounded through the line. "Who do you think?"

Ranger tensed. "How did you get this number?"

"Uh uh," Abruzzi clicked his tongue. "Don't we have more important matters to discuss?"

"What do you want?"

"Her."

"No."

Abruzzi laughed again, a bone-chilling cackle. "If you make this difficult, I'm just going to enjoy her even more. I have plenty of ideas on how to take care of this naughty lady."

Ranger tried his best to ignore the implication of those words. "Why do you want her? Why not me? I'm the one that killed your brother."

"Sorry, but I've got to go. The clock is ticking, Mañoso. You'd better be watching over your girlie." And he hung up.

Ranger cursed himself, the phone, and Abruzzi, who must have known that after only a few more seconds, Ranger would have been able to locate where the call was made.

Ranger groaned and dropped his head into his hands. _The clock is ticking_. What did that mean? There were obvious explanations, but for some reason Ranger had the feeling that Abruzzi had left a hidden meaning in that sentence.

It could mean a bomb, but that seemed too simple. And Ranger didn't keep clocks in his apartment; it seemed pointless when he always had the time on his phone. And they hadn't been anywhere else lately.

Except for the hospital. There had been a clock on the wall in the hospital.

An hour later, after doing everything he could to ensure Stephanie's safety, Ranger was on his way back to the hospital.

He arrived in record time and quickly made his way through the halls. He navigated the halls easily, having already memorized them from his trips here to see Stephanie. He ran into her room and found it just as they had left it only a few hours before. The sheets were still rumpled; apparently, the maids hadn't even cleaned it out yet.

Ranger looked to the wall opposite the bed, where the clock was hanging innocently above a small table.

He watched for a few seconds as the second hand ticked, moving slowly as time seemed to halt. He walked cautiously over to the clock and took it down from the wall. He inspected it from every angle, looking for something, anything that would give him a clue as to what was going on.

Then he saw it. A small dot, barely bigger than the tip of a pencil, was stuck on the tip of the one in the twelve. Ranger pulled out his pocketknife and carefully removed the dot.

He examined it for a second, and then cursed when he realized what it was.

A camera. Abruzzi must've gotten it from Morelli, who had access to them because of his position in TPD.

He was startled out of his reverie when his cell phone buzzed in his pocket.

'Unknown Caller'


	17. Author's Note 3

Okay people, I have a question. I haven't quite decided on Morelli's role in this story. There are a few choices on what he could be:

1) An undercover cop - doesn't get killed

2) An undercover cop - does get killed

3) bad guy w/ Abruzzi - doesn't get killed

4) bad guy w/ Abruzzi - does get killed

That's what I've thought of. Tell me which idea you like best, or If you have another idea for his role.

Thanks a lot,

xBxAxMx


	18. Chapter Fourteen

_**Previously:**_

_He examined it for a second, and then cursed when he realized what it was. _

_A camera. Abruzzi must've gotten it from Morelli, who had access to them because of his position in TPD._

_He was startled out of his reverie when his cell phone buzzed in his pocket._

_'Unknown Caller'_

**Chapter Fourteen**

Ranger hesitantly unclipped the phone from his belt.

"What?" he answered roughly.

"You found that faster than I had expected."

Ranger cursed. "Is this some kind of game to you?" he growled.

"Of course not," Abruzzi said. "Unlike my dear brothers, I don't play games. I have other ways of having fun." His voice was filled with wicked intention.

Ranger tensed, the hand holding the small camera tightening into a tight fist. He heard a tiny snap as the lens cracked and broke.

"Oh, now why did you have to break it?" Abruzzi whined. "I had to work to get that."

"I doubt that," Ranger said tightly.

Abruzzi laughed gleefully. "Well, aren't you a smart one."

Ranger didn't reply.

"Don't worry, Rambo, you'll be fine, even if your girlie isn't."

Ranger's already tense body tightened even more. "You aren't going to get her."

"Keep telling yourself that, Rambo. Oh, and you should get some sleep. You're looking a bit pale." The connection clicked off.

Ranger whirled to face the window, eyes rapidly searching for Abruzzi.

"Excuse me, Sir?"

Ranger turned to see a nurse standing in the doorway. "What?" he snapped.

Her eyes widened a fraction and she cleared her throat. "Um, I need to ask you to leave. We're getting ready to clean out this room."

Ranger glared at her before stalking from the room.

_Scene Change_

_He watched as they took her away. There was nothing he could do._

_He had failed her._

_He watched with tears in his eyes as the body was removed from the wreckage. Her small, frail body was bruised and bloody, her eyes closed as though in slumber._

_But she wasn't asleep._

_The cops hurried around the remains of the building, securing a crime scene area. But he didn't notice._

_All he could see was that beautiful life that had ended, taking his heart with it._

Ranger's eyes flew open and he found himself lying on the couch, covered in sweat. He pulled himself up into a sitting position with shaking hands. The images from that nightmare were permanently branded in his brain.

He closed his hands into tight fists, willing them to stop shaking.

Then he stood and made his way to the bedroom. He had to reassure himself that she was still there, still alive.

There she was, sleeping peacefully, her chest rising and falling with her easy breathing.

He continued into the bathroom and turned on the sink, washing his face with cold water. He looked up into the mirror, studying his face, then shook his head and turned of the taps.

Walking into the bedroom, he lay down on the bed next to Stephanie and pulled her close, flush against his body.

And finally, he slept peacefully.

_Scene Change_

Stephanie woke up sore and groggy. She forced her eyes open and looked around, realizing almost immediately that she was in Ranger's room. She didn't remember coming here, but she wasn't about to complain now that she was out of the hospital.

She stretched her tired limbs and, with a painful breath, pushed herself into a sitting position, then to her feet.

She walked into the kitchen to find Ranger and Tank talking. Tank nodded to her with a smile, while Ranger's eyes held hers for a moment longer. They finished their conversation quickly and quietly, and then Tank left, leaving Stephanie and Ranger alone in the kitchen.

"How are you feeling?" Ranger asked gently, walking over and taking her into his arms. "You slept for a day and a half."

"Better, but not good." She gave him a weak smile and rested her forehead on his chest.

Ranger tightened his grip around her, but quickly loosened it when he felt her wince. "I'm sorry," he said gruffly.

"It's okay. It's just a little sore."

"Want some medicine?"

When she nodded, he led her to the table and had her sit down while he grabbed the pills and a glass of water. He watched as she swallowed the pills, and then asked quietly, "Are you tired? Is there anything you need?"

She gave him a gentle laugh. "I'm only sore, Ranger. There's no reason to treat me like a child."

Ranger sighed. "I'm only trying to help."

"I know. And you've done so much for me already…" He watched, surprised, as tears appeared in her eyes. "You have no idea how thankful I am for you."

"Babe," he whispered, pulling her to her feet and wrapping his arms around her. "I don't want your gratitude or your thanks," he said in her ear. "All I want is for you to understand that I would do anything for you. Anything at all."

He held as her cried into his shoulder. "I know," she managed. "But I feel like I'm just a burden that keeps causing more problems." She ignored him when he opened his mouth to respond. "Now I have some stalker after me who has tried multiple times to kill me. And I just keep thinking that he would've succeeded if not for you."

"Babe," Ranger said again. He pressed a light kiss onto the top of her hair. "You shouldn't look at things that way."

"But don't you see?" she cried. "You're admitting it too! All I am to you is a burden that causes nonstop problems!"

Anger flared momentarily in Ranger's eyes. "Never say that again," he snapped. "You know that's not true."

Stephanie pulled herself out of his arms and looked up at him. "Then why don't you ever say anything to me? I-I tell you that I love you and you just-just-I don't know!"

Ranger grabbed her arm, pulling her tight against him. "Never say that I don't love you," he growled.

"You don't show it!"

"Goddamn it, Stephanie!" He wrapped one arm around her waist and the other around her neck. "How can you say that?" he whispered. "I do love you. I'm sorry if it's hard for me to show, but you have to know that it's true." His eyes pleaded with her to understand.

Tears streaked down Stephanie's face as she nodded. "I love you too," she whispered quietly.

Ranger groaned and pulled her face up to his for a kiss. She melted in his arms and responded eagerly.

Gathering her up in his arms, Ranger walked to the couch and lay down so that Stephanie was sprawled across his body. "You need to get some more sleep," he said. He cold already see the drowsiness caused by the pain medications.

She nodded and cuddled her head under his chin, falling asleep almost instantly.

Ranger lay there or a few more minutes, gently stroking her hair, before he also fell asleep.


	19. Chapter Fifteen

_**Previously**_

_Gathering her up in his arms, Ranger walked to the couch and lay down so that Stephanie was sprawled across his body. "You need to get some more sleep," he said. He cold already see the drowsiness caused by the pain medications._

_She nodded and cuddled her head under his chin, falling asleep almost instantly._

_Ranger lay there or a few more minutes, gently stroking her hair, before he also fell asleep._

**Chapter Fifteen**

Ranger opened his eyes groggily, stretching his arms. Stephanie was awake, propping her head on her hands and looking down at him. "Hey there, sleepyhead," she said quietly.

Ranger smiled at her and wrapped his arms lightly around her, then pressed a quick kiss on her lips. "How long have you been awake?"

"A few minutes. Did you know that you look much more relaxed in sleep?" She traced her fingers along the profile of his face. "Your eyes looked gentler and your mouth looks soft…" She broke off when Ranger nipped at one of her fingers with his teeth.

"Babe, now is not a good time to tempt me."

She grinned down at him. "I know." She opened her mouth to go on, but was interrupted by a brisk knock on the apartment door.

"What?" Ranger called out.

Tank stepped into the room, a shuttered look on his face. "Boss, there's something you need to see." His tone alone told Ranger that there was something really wrong.

Stephanie quickly scrambled to her feet, wincing slightly, and was followed by Ranger. "What is it?" he asked stonily.

Tank sighed and held out a large manila envelope. Ranger took it carefully, already dreading what was inside.

He cursed before he even opened it. On the front, written in large black letters, was 'for your girlie, rambo.'

Ranger glared at those few words for a moment before flipping it over and carefully opening the flap.

"We already checked it," Tank said. "There is nothing in the envelope that could harm anyone. No poisons or gases or anything."

Ranger nodded, "Good."

He reached inside and pulled out the packet of papers. The one on top had a note written in the same handwriting as the other, saying 'Sorry, but my photography isn't quite up to par.'

Ranger tensed and looked at all of the papers underneath it. Or rather, pictures. Each page had a picture of Stephanie doing some activity. One was Ranger taking her out of the car when they had arrived at RangeMan. Another was her sleeping in his bed, and yet another was the two of them sleeping on the couch.

That had been only minutes before. Ranger threw the pictures to the floor. "How the hell does he have access to this? There aren't any cameras in this apartment for him to hack into! How does he break the security?"

Stephanie ignored her own misgivings and laid a comforting hand on his arm. "Don't get angry. You know that he's only trying to confuse you and make you mad. He wants you to make a mistake."

Tank, noticing that this was a private moment, quietly slipped out of the room.

"That's the problem, Babe," Ranger said quietly. "It's working." He lifted a hand to cup her cheek. "I can't just stand around and watch as this madman stalks you and tries to hurt you. And even so, there doesn't seem to be anything I can do about it."

"You're trying, though." Stephanie responded. "At least you're trying." She bent over and picked up the pictures, placing them on the nearby table. "Right now, you're going to lay down in your bed and sleep."

She put a hand over his mouth when he opened it to protest. "There's nothing you can do right now. It's his move, and you're too tired to deal with these things. You need rest."

Ranger sighed, his shoulders slumping. Stephanie, knowing that she had won, wrapped her arms around his neck. "When this is all over, I'm going to make sure that you have all the time you need to recover." There was a wicked playfulness in her eyes. "I'll stay with you the whole time."

She watched as his eyes darkened. "Babe," he growled. "We've been through this. You don't want to tempt me."

"Actually," she sighed. "I do. But it will have to wait until you're rested." She looked up at him again. "I wouldn't want you to lag behind."

She laughed and jumped away when he reached to pull her to him.

"Babe," he said. "There's no way that I'm going to be able to sleep. Not after you've messed with me like this."

She smiled at him. "I hadn't thought of that. We'll just have to wait awhile until you're tired enough to rest."

Ranger groaned. "Are you trying to torture me?"

The smile faded. "No, I'm not. And I'm sorry that I said anything. You really need to rest. You're in no condition to be worrying about me when you're depriving yourself." She gave him a light kiss. "Why don't we lie back down on the couch? I could probably use some more sleep, too."

Ranger nodded and they both settled back down on the couch like they were before. Stephanie fell asleep almost instantly, but Ranger stayed wide awake, staring at the pictures on the table in front of him.


	20. Chapter Sixteen

_**Previously:**_

_Ranger groaned. "Are you trying to torture me?"_

_The smile faded. "No, I'm not. And I'm sorry that I said anything. You really need to rest. You're in no condition to be worrying about me when you're depriving yourself." She gave him a light kiss. "Why don't we lie back down on the couch? I could probably use some more sleep, too."_

_Ranger nodded and they both settled back down on the couch like they were before. Stephanie fell asleep almost instantly, but Ranger stayed wide awake, staring at the pictures on the table in front of him._

**Chapter Sixteen**

Morelli woke up early the next morning. He and Abruzzi had made plans to meet at a local bar. They couldn't go during the daylight hours because they had a higher risk of being recognized.

He quickly checked his GPS. All of Ranger's cars were in the RangeMan garage, except for one. He searched quickly over the map, but the missing dot was not to be found. He cursed, knowing that this meant that Ranger had found one of the GPS chips, and that he was likely suspicious of there being more.

Morelli pulled on his coat and glared at the tiny screen before leaving the small motel room.

_Scene Change_

Stephanie woke to find herself alone on the couch, wrapped in a warm blanket. She stood up, stretching the stiff muscles in her abdomen. The wound was still sore, but didn't bother her nearly as much.

There was so sign of Ranger as she made her way to the bathroom to take care of her morning routine and put on a new bandage.

After applying a few coats of mascara and pulling on a faded pair of jeans and a black RangeMan shirt, she made her way downstairs to the offices.

She found Ranger and Tank in one of the conference rooms.

"Hey," she said. "What's going on?"

Ranger shook is head grimly. "I think we know why we haven't been able to find Morelli. A GPS tracker was found on one of the trucks this morning. I have a feeling Morelli put it there so that he could evade us when we were searching for him."

All too late, Ranger realized what he said. Tank was shaking his head, and Stephanie was looking at him with wide eyes. "Wait," she said. "Why are you looking for Morelli? I thought we were only worried about Abruzzi right now." Her eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms over her chest. "You've been keeping information from me again, haven't you?"

Ranger sighed and tiredly wiped a hand over his face. "Are you sure that you want to know?"

"Yes."

Ranger looked at Tank. "Could you leave us alone for a few minutes?" Tank looked wearily between the two of them, then nodded and left, closing the door softly behind him.

Ranger crossed the room and took Stephanie into his arms. "Babe, before I tell you, I want you to promise me something. Promise me that you'll believe me."

Stephanie looked up into his eyes. "I'm sorry, but I can't do that until you tell me what's going on."

Ranger stared into her eyes, searching for something. Then he nodded. "I guess I'll start at the beginning. The day you were admitted to the hospital, Tank found connections to Abruzzi through Morelli." He heard Stephanie's gasp of surprise and turned to look at her. "At first, I ignored the connections because he seemed so stricken when he saw you in the hospital. I should have known better.

"Morelli is a cop who knows how to play people. He's been in the force for years and has learned, and learned well, how to play with peoples' emotions. When your apartment was bombed, a picture was left on the floor. It was of you in the hospital the day you went in." Ranger sighed and shook his head. "I still didn't think to blame Morelli. But I should have. The deeper into this we get, the more resources Abruzzi seems to get.

"It turns out that there was a camera attached to the clock in your hospital room. This was a small camera, barely bigger than the tip of a pencil, but it had the power to record every movement inside the room and transmit it back to a computer being used by Abruzzi. That kind of technology is hard to come by. Unless you're a cop.

"With his position in the force, Morelli has the authority to use the equipment without needed approval from his superiors."

Ranger looked into Stephanie's eyes, which were filled to the brim with tears. "I'm sorry, Babe, but all of our information and all of the evidence leads us to believe that Morelli is working with Abruzzi."

For the first time since Ranger began talking, Stephanie spoke. "I believe you," she whispered quietly.

Ranger tensed and closed his eyes. He hadn't known just how much he had needed her to say those words. "Thank you," he said quietly.

Stephanie walked over and wrapped her arms around his waist. "What were you talking about earlier? With Tank?"

"We've been trying to find Morelli ever since you were…oh shit, Babe. There's something else you need to know."

She tensed and took a step back. "What is it?"

Ranger walked over to a chair, sat in it, and put his face in his hands. After a few moments, he picked it up and looked at her. There was naked emotion on his face. Fear and anger and grief all mixed together. "Another incident happened while you were in the hospital. "One of the nurses was apparently working for Abruzzi. She injected something into you."

Stephanie stared at him. "What do you mean, _something_?"

"That's just the problem. We don't know. The doctor's don't know. We just know that whatever it was, it caused to you have a seizure." He took a deep breath, and Stephanie could see that is caused him pain to relive what happened. "It caused you a lot of pain. You were crying out and your body was stiff. Your back arched and all of your muscles locked, leaving you in a position that would cause anybody pain. The effects wore off after a few minutes and you collapsed, immediately falling unconscious. Nothing has happened since, and nobody knows just why those things happened."

Stephanie walked over to him, kneeling in front of his chair. "Thank you for telling me," she said through her tears. "I know that it's painful for you, but thank you." She kissed him gently, not surprised when his arms came around her in a vice-like grip and he kissed her back with unrestrained passion.

He pulled away after a few minutes and rested his forehead against hers. "Thank you," he said in a gruff voice.

Stephanie nodded and stood. "Let's go get something for breakfast. I haven't eaten yet."

Ranger let out a reluctant laugh. "Of course. I wouldn't want to deprive your stomach."

**Quick Author's Note:**

Okay, about the poll from before…first of all, thanks to everyone that voted. I received like thirty votes combined between email and reviews. The second thing is, that even with all those votes, there's still a tie. If everybody could vote once more, just between these two, I could make a decision. Thank you!

1) Morelli is an undercover cop and doesn't die.

2) Morelli is teamed with Abruzzi and does die.

Sorry to the people who voted for the other two options, but they were outvoted.

Oh, and I'm going to be away for the next week and a half, so I won't be able to update. I should be back around the 16th or so.

xBxAxMx


	21. Chapter Seventeen

_**Previously:**_

_Stephanie walked over to him, kneeling in front of his chair. "Thank you for telling me," she said through her tears. "I know that it's painful for you, but thank you." She kissed him gently, not surprised when his arms came around her in a vice-like grip and he kissed her back with unrestrained passion. _

_He pulled away after a few minutes and rested his forehead against hers. "Thank you," he said in a gruff voice._

_Stephanie nodded and stood. "Let's go get something for breakfast. I haven't eaten yet."_

**Chapter Seventeen**

Morelli entered the bar cautiously. It was dark and musty, with smoke drifting lazily around the room. Only a few people were present, but they were regular drunks who probably couldn't talk, much less listen in on a conversation.

Abruzzi was sitting at a table in the corner, holding a lone beer in his hands. He gave a lopsided smile as Morelli walked up. "Hey there, macho," he said. "There's no reason to be suspicious. What are the chances of someone we know coming into this exact bar at the time we happen to be hear?"

Morelli blinked at him. "Are you drunk?"

Abruzzi grunted and took another sip of his beer. "Sit."

Morelli obliged, sitting down to that he could talk with Abruzzi but still survey the room. "Why did we need to meet?" He asked, getting right to the point.

Abruzzi cleared his throat. "I have a plan. We need to get your little lady out of that stupid building. It was hard enough getting the camera up there; there's no way that we could get ourselves up there to take her."

Morelli leveled a stare at him. "How do you plan on doing that? She has no reason to leave."

"Don't worry," Abruzzi said with a cruel grin. "She will." He leaned forward and quietly told Morelli his plan.

When he was done, Morelli nodded, wearing his own crooked grin. "That might just work," he said, and signaled to the bar for a beer. "Oh, what fun we're going to have tonight," he said to himself.

_Scene Change_

Across town, Stephanie was finishing up her breakfast. She moaned as she took the last bite of her omelet, appreciating Ella more than ever. Ranger eyed her from across the table. "Why does it take food to make you moan like that?"

Stephanie blushed and quickly wiped her hands on her napkin. "So, uh, what are we doing today?"

Ranger sighed, openly disappointed, and shook his head. "I'm sending Bobby and Lester out into the field. They'll be looking for any signs of Abruzzi or Morelli. Tank is going to be looking up any more possible references those two have to anybody who might've had a hand in all of this."

Stephanie nodded. "Where does that leave me and you?"

"It leaves us wherever you want us to be."

Stephanie blinked, surprised. "I thought you'd want to be helping."

Ranger gave her an easy smile. "I would rather be with you."

Stephanie blinked again. "Oh."

Ranger stood and cleared the plates off the table. "Is there anything you wanted to do today?" He asked as he turned into the kitchen and put the dishes in the dishwasher. "We can't leave the building, but there's plenty of things we could do."

Stephanie thought about it for a moment. "I'll go take a shower, then we can go downstairs and see if there's any progress."

Ranger nodded and closed the dishwasher. "Do you need any help with your bandage?" he asked.

Stephanie shook her head. "I'll be fine." She walked through the bedroom and into the bedroom. Her wound was sore and stiff, probably because she had forgotten to take a pain pill that morning.

She carefully peeled her clothes off her body and stepped into the shower, turning the water on hot. She hissed out a breath as the hot water sprayed over her body. Reluctantly, she peeled the bandage off her abdomen and rinsed out the wound, biting her lip against the pain. She squeezed her eyes shut and reached out blindly to the wall, hoping to lean against it for support.

Instead, her hand came in contact with the shelf holding the shampoos, knocking them all to the floor. One hit her foot, and she yelped in pained surprise.

Ranger came running into the room. He threw open the shower door. "What's the matter? What happened?"

Stephanie took a deep breath to steady herself. "I'm fine," she gasped.

Ranger shook his head. "No, you're not." He picked her up carefully, making sure not to bump her wound. "What was that crashing noise?"

Stephanie sighed and rested her head against his shoulder. "I just knocked over the bottles. It was nothing."

Ranger lay her down in the tub and turned on the water. "It wasn't nothing if you're in this much pain. Did you take your pills this morning?"

Stephanie shook her head, wincing as the water splashed over her abdomen. "Why does it hurt so much?" She whispered, her eyes closed tight.

She felt Ranger brush aside her wet curls. "I'm sorry, Babe. I would do anything to take away your pain." He brushed a kiss across her forehead and left to get her pills.

When he returned, the water was chin-high and Stephanie was resting her head back, breathing deeply. "Thank you," she whispered when he handed her a pill and a glass of water.

"Did you get a chance to wash?" he asked.

Stephanie shook her head and Ranger reached for the shampoo that was laying on the floor of the shower.

Ranger took his time washing her. He shampooed, conditioned, and then soaped her from head to toe. By the time he was finished, Stephanie was barely awake. He gently lifted her from the tub and hugged her to his chest, ignoring the water that soaked into his clothing. He carried her into the bedroom and lay her carefully down on the bed. Then he took a towel and carefully wrapped it around her hair.

Stephanie tiredly smiled up at him. "I never knew you were such a gentleman," she said quietly.

Ranger opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted when the door to the bedroom flew open.

Tank stood there. "Oh, sorry Boss." His eyes stayed on Ranger, not once glancing at Stephanie's naked body.

Ranger glared at him. "What is it?"

"Grandma Mazur is missing."

_**Author's Note**_

_First of all, sorry about the long wait. I got back from vacation, but I've had writers block. This chapter definitely isn't one of my best, but I'm finally getting to the main part of the plot, so at least it's going somewhere. _

_The poll is over, and one of the options won with flying colors. I'm not going to say which one, because that would ruin some of the story, but I will get to it eventually. _

_Thank you to all of my reviewers and I'm sorry that this chapter isn't very long. It might be awhile before another chapter comes up because I'm really stuck and plus, school starts next week (ew). Anyways, I'll update as soon as I can._

_xBxAxMx_


	22. Chapter Eighteen

_**Previously:**_

_Stephanie tiredly smiled up at him. "I never knew you were such a gentleman," she said quietly. _

_Ranger opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted when the door to the bedroom flew open._

_Tank stood there. "Oh, sorry Boss." His eyes stayed on Ranger, not once glancing at Stephanie's naked body._

_Ranger glared at him. "What is it?"_

_"Grandma Mazur is missing."_

**Chapter Eighteen**

Stephanie blinked up at Tank. "What?"

Tank rubbed a hand over his face. "According to Steph's mother, Grandma Mazur was supposed to meet a friend at the funeral parlor. She never showed up. Her purse was found on the ground in an alley by Steph's parent's house."

Ranger cursed and looked down at Stephanie. "Babe…"

"No, Ranger," she said weakly. "I'm going with you."

Ranger didn't question how she knew what he was going to say. "Babe, you're exhausted and hurt. You need rest."

Her eyes stared up at him defiantly. "I'll have plenty of time to rest after this is over."

Ranger shook his head, then looked up at Tank. "We'll be down in a few minutes."

Tank, knowing a dismissal when he heard one, quickly nodded and left, closing the door behind him.

Ranger turned back to Stephanie. "Is there any way I can convince you to stay here?"

"Nope." She was already out of bed and searching for clothes.

He sighed. "I thought so."

Stephanie stopped looking for clothes and stared over at Ranger. "You're not going to force me to stay? Stun me? Lock me in a room?"

Ranger closed his eyes, cursing himself for making her so wary of him. "Never again, Babe. You can make your own decisions."

For the first time in a while, she smiled at him, actually looking like she was happy. "Really?"

When Ranger nodded, she smiled even wider and gave him a quick kiss. "Thank you," she said quietly.

She resumed getting dressed and Ranger sighed, pulling off his wet shirt and replacing it with a new one from the closet.

_Scene Change_

Morelli resisted the urge to hit his head on the steering wheel. He should've known better than to kidnap Grandma Mazur. The woman never shut up. She didn't even seem to realize that she was in danger.

"So," she went on. "Then Lucy's mom started screaming and yelling, saying that I had no right to be there. But, really? I can't miss a funeral! It would be horrible. So I told her that…"

As she droned on, Morelli glanced over at where Grandma was sitting in the passenger seat and briefly wondered if he could shoot her. Nobody had to know.

But he knew that he couldn't do it. Not in order for the plan to work. Plus, they were only a few minutes away from where they were meeting with Abruzzi. Then she would be his problem.

_Scene Change_

Ranger pressed a fist to his forehead. "That's the only information that we have? Nobody saw anything suspicious?"

The only clue that had been received from the scene was a note that simply said '_Give us the girl.'_ It didn't have any traces of fingerprints or anything on it.

Tank shook his head ruefully from where he was leaning against the wall. "Nothing."

Stephanie spoke out for the first time. "Whatever they planned," she said softly. "They really know how to get it. They know that I would do anything to save my family."

Ranger cursed. "You can't let them win, Babe. We can still find a way to fix this."

Stephanie shook her head. "Morelli is too smart to leave any kind of trail that would lead us to them. Remember when he was FTA? It was impossible to track him." She took a breath. "It's obvious that they want me in exchange for her. And I'm willing to do it."

Ranger and Tank stared at her.

"You can't just give up!" Ranger said forcefully.

"I'm not giving up," Stephanie snapped back at him. "I'm doing what I know is right. Or at least what I believe is right. I can't let them hurt Grandma Mazur."

Tank let out a short laugh. "For some reason, I doubt that they will be able to hurt her. She's the invincible Granny."

Ranger leveled a stare at him. "Now is not the time for joking around."

Tank immediately closed his mouth and Ranger turned back to Stephanie. "Babe, I can't let you do this."

She actually looked hurt for a moment. "What happened to 'You can make your own decisions.'? I thought that you trusted me."

Ranger sighed. "I do. It's just that your mind is clouded by your worry for your grandmother. We can find another way to do this."

"No, we can't," she said. "And I'm going to do this with or without your help."

Ranger looked over at Tank, who shrugged.

_Scene Change_

Two hours later, Stephanie was outfitted with the best of what RangeMan could use to protect her. She had swallowed a GPS chip and was outfitted with an earpiece that would let her talk to Ranger. They knew that it would be taken once she was captured, but it was still useful for identifying things around her until then. She was dressed in casual clothes, jeans and a long-sleeve white button-down shirt. She had special sunglasses that had mirrors so that she could see behind her. SHE had a stun gun tucked in the back of her jeans and a small container of mace in an ankle holster.

There really wasn't much that they could do. Joe would know what to expect and would be prepared.

The main goal was to not let him know of the swallowed GPS chip. She wore another sewed inside her jeans. They hoped that he would find that one and assume that it was the only one.

Stephanie and Ranger were standing just outside the elevator in the garage.

He reluctantly handed her the keys to one of the trucks. "Babe, I wish you wouldn't do this."

She looked nervous. "Me too, but we both know that I have to."

Ranger nodded solemnly.

Stephanie hesitated, then said, "Well, goodbye then."

She didn't make it more than a step before she was pulled back roughly by the arm. Ranger crushed her in his arms and pressed his lips to hers.

They kissed sweetly for a moment before the kiss became intensely intimate.

"Ranger," Stephanie gasped when she came up for air. "I have to go."

He kissed her once more, desperate, then let her go. "When you get back, we're going to be busy."

"Don't you mean 'if' I get back?" Stephanie asked quietly.

"No," Ranger shook his head. "I have no doubt that you'll be back. I'm proud of you, and I believe in you, even if I do really want to lock you away in a safe house hundreds of miles away."

Stephanie gave him a small smile and a swift kiss. "Goodbye."

Ranger watched as she got into the truck and carefully drove out of the lot. "Goodbye," he whispered as he watched her taillights disappear.


	23. Chapter Nineteen

_**Previously:**_

_"Don't you mean 'if' I get back?" Stephanie asked quietly._

_"No," Ranger shook his head. "I have no doubt that you'll be back. I'm proud of you, even if I do really want to lock you away in a safe house hundreds of miles away."_

_Stephanie gave him a small smile and a swift kiss. "Goodbye."_

_Ranger watched as she got into the truck and carefully drove out of the lot. "Goodbye," he whispered as he watched her taillights disappear._

**Chapter Nineteen**

Stephanie waited until she was out of sight of RangeMan to pull over onto the side of the road. With a weak pull, she took the keys out of the ignition and dropped her head onto the steering wheel. With all the rush of the past few hours she hadn't remembered to take a pain pill. Her wound, only half-healed, was protesting her constant movement with a burning pain.

Blindly, Stephanie stumbled out of the truck and up onto the curb, only then noticing that she was parked in front of Shorty's. With a shrug, she put on her best 'don't talk to me' face and walked inside.

The small restaurant was packed with people, mainly drunks, with smoke drifting around from the smokers.

Keeping her back ramrod straight, Stephanie walked up to the bar and signaled the barkeep, an old man with greasy hands, and a frightening lack of teeth. He grinned at her from across the bar and made his way over. "What can I get for a fine lady like you?" He asked in a rough voice.

Resisting the urge to grimace, Stephanie gave him a small smile. "Vodka," she answered plainly.

The barkeep's smile grew wider. "Of course."

Stephanie rolled her eyes when he turned away. It was pathetic how easy to was to charm some men. While he poured out the vodka, Stephanie stood and made her way to the back corner, where the bathrooms were.

After refreshing herself and replacing her bandage as best as she could, she began to walk back to the bar, only to be stopped by a rough hand grabbing her arm.

With a sigh, she turned and to see Morelli smiling at her. "Hi, Cupcake. Long time no see."

"Cut the shit, Morelli." Stephanie said wearily. "Just let Grandma go."

He just continued to smile at her, although it looked somewhat strained. "Why don't we go outside?"

Knowing it wasn't a request, Stephanie followed as he made his way through the crowds and out the front door.

"Morelli," Stephanie began after he pulled her into a nearby alley, "I don't care what you do with me, just let Grandma Mazur go."

"Don't worry," Morelli said. "Even as we speak, she's being returned. I'm sure she doesn't even know that she was in any danger."

Stephanie nodded. "So, what now? Aren't you going to stun me? Or tie me up? Anything?"

Morelli grinned. Stephanie barely restrained the urge to shiver. This wasn't a normal smile; it was cold and full of hatred.

"Actually," Morelli stated, "I had been planning on stunning you and then checking you for weapons and GPS chips." He ran his eyes slowly down then back up her body. "I changed my mind. I think I'll do it the other way around."

Stephanie closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. She considered making a run for it, but knew that there was no chance of her out-running him. There was also the chance that they could take Grandma Mazur right back. She only hoped that Ranger wouldn't try to save her now. She needed Morelli to lead them to Abruzzi, which wouldn't happen until he had searched her.

When she re-opened her eyes, Morelli held a pair of handcuffs in his hands. He roughly spun her around and cuffed her hands behind her back. "This is going to be fun," he whispered in her ear. He pushed her up against the side of the building, immediately pressing his hands roughly into her sides. He pulled the stun gun from her waistband, letting his fingers linger longer than necessary. Stephanie squeezed her eyes closed and let her forehead rest against the rough brick. Morelli's hands traveled down over her front, pressing over the zipper of her jeans for a moment, then resuming their path down her thighs. He removed the mace from her ankle holster and then made his way back up. His hands traveled slowly up the back of her legs, up to her back, then her shoulders.

"You know what the fun part is?" Morelli asked quietly. "The only way to look for GPS chips is with your clothes off." She felt him breathing against the back of her neck. "Completely off," he said again. His finger traced a line up her neck, curling into her ear and removing the earpiece. "Don't worry. You won't be needing this." There was a sound of breaking plastic as he crunched the small device under his shoe.

**Author's Note:**

Okay, people. I'm really sorry about how long this story is taking me to write. I've had major writer's block for a couple months now (very annoying) and I know that this chapter isn't very good. Sorry about how short it is. Hopefully I'll get some inspiration soon and I'll be able to write more.

Review please!

xBxAxMx


	24. Chapter Twenty

_**Previously:**_

_"You know what the fun part is?" Morelli asked quietly. "The only way to look for GPS chips is with your clothes off." She felt him breathing against the back of her neck. "Completely off," he said again. His finger traced a line up her neck, curling into her ear and removing the earpiece. "Don't worry. You won't be needing this." There was a sound of breaking plastic as he crunched the small device under his shoe._

**Chapter Twenty**

Ranger cursed to himself, knowing that despite how much he wanted to save his Babe, she needed to stay where she was.

With a sigh, he looked around the conference room. "Okay," he began, speaking to Tank, Lester, and other members of the team. "It would seem that we were successful in hiding the GPS chip from Morelli. The one that was used as a cover has been destroyed, but the second is still tracking Stephanie. Morelli hasn't done much moving. He stayed at the first location, Shorty's, for 30 minutes after capturing Steph. Then he moved, presumably by car, to his home.

"He knows that we won't try anything until something big happens, so he's not being very cautious. I think that-" Ranger was interrupted by a loud ringing from his phone.

"Uh, Boss?" Carl said over the line once Ranger answered.

"What is it?" Ranger snapped.

"The second GPS signal has disappeared."

_Scene Change_

Stephanie groaned as she blinked her eyes open, struggling to ignore the buzzing in her head. She tried to push herself into a sitting position, but a hand pushed her back.

Morelli stood above her, smiling. "How are you feeling?" he asked. Stephanie glared at him and answered with a colorful explicative, making Morelli laugh. "I figured you'd feel that way. I had to drug you so that I could check you for GPS. Did you guys really think that I wouldn't search you? Although that second one was a bit harder to find…"

Stephanie felt the blood rush from her face. She cleared her throat, hoping to erase her fear. "Where are we?" she asked him shortly.

He grinned at her. "Somewhere where your Man-in-Black won't be able to find you." He reached over for a syringe that was lying on a nearby table. "Sorry about this, but we need to move somewhere else and I can't have you asking too many questions."

Stephanie struggled against him, but her body was still weak from the earlier drugs. Morelli injected the liquid into her arm and she immediately felt her body going lax. Morelli pressed a kiss to her lips as the world darkened and she closed her eyes.

The next time she woke up, Stephanie was in a dark room with no windows and only one door. She was sitting on the floor, leaning back against the wall with her wrists shackled in place. Her side was aching with pain, but still was too scared to look at it.

"Morelli!" she yelled out. "MORELLI!!!"

The door opened a few seconds later and Morelli walked in. "What do you want?"

"Why the hell am I chained to the wall?"

Morelli grinned. "It wasn't my idea, but now that I think about it, I'm beginning to like it. It adds to the image."

Stephanie stared at him for a moment, and then followed his gaze as it traveled down her body. With a start, she realized that she was clad in only her bra and panties. Her eyes snapped back up to Morelli's. "You had better get me something to wear," she growled at him.

"I don't think so," Morelli answered, and walked towards her. "I think you look pretty good like this." He knelt in front of her and rested a hand on the bandage that was covered her gunshot wound. Stephanie hissed in pain and tried to jerk herself away. "I guess I can get you some pain meds, though," Morelli said quietly. His expression quickly changed from concerned to sly. "We can't have you injured with the things that I plan on doing with you."

He reached out and gently cupped one of her breasts with one hand. To her horror, Stephanie felt her body responding to his touch. She closed her eyes in shame as her breath quickened and her body arched towards him. "Don't," she moaned as Morelli's second hand joined the first.

She felt rather than heard his rumbling laugh. "Fine." He pulled his hands away and Stephanie took a deep breath and opened her eyes. Morelli was looking at her with a look a pure male dominance. Then he grinned. "We'll always suit each other, Cupcake. Always."

His promise rang in her ears as he walked from the room and shut the door quietly behind him.

_Scene Change_

"Where the hell is she?" Ranger roared out to his men, who were frantically searching for any clue as to where Morelli could have taken Stephanie. Ranger yelled out once more in anger and then stomped from the room, slamming the door behind him. With a groan, he punched the wall of his office, the sound reverberating in the quiet room. He welcomed the pain that came with it, knowing that it was nothing compared to what his Babe could be going through just then.

There was a hard knock on the door and Tank walked in, carefully closing the door behind him. "Look Ric," he said, talking purposefully as a friend and not as a colleague. "I know that you're scared for Stephanie, but you can't let yourself get too carried away. We both know that she can handle herself and that-"

"I know," Ranger interrupted. "But that doesn't mean that I can't be worried for her."

Tank nodded his head. "I know, but you need to start thinking logically."

Ranger glared at him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that you're skipping over things. We know that Morelli disabled the second GPS chip, but that doesn't mean anything. The only way for him to do that would be to use an electrical shock from outside her body."

Ranger groaned and closed his eyes. "I don't want to hear this," he snapped.

"Yes, you do." Tank replied, only now beginning to show impatience. "If you were thinking clearly, you would realize where I'm going with this. The chips that we use aren't permanently affected by electrical charges. They are only temporarily disabled."

"Oh shit," Ranger said. "But that means that we need to wait for it to turn itself back on, which could take anywhere from 5 minutes to 5 days! I can't wait that long, Tank."

"You have to," was Tank's simple reply. "And in the mean time, we can prepare ourselves for the capture. You know as well as I do that Morelli won't be coming out of this alive."

**Author's Note**

Okay, I REALLY hate this chapter…its soooo not me, but I've really lost my inspiration for this story. I can't even remember where I was going with everything…

Yeah, so if people have any ideas for the plot or anything, that would be awesome.

PLEASE REVIEW!!!!

xBxAxMx


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